Day 2: What Does God Want For Me?

In all the planning we do for Lent and thinking and praying about what we should give up for our Lenten sacrifice, we sometimes forget one tiny detail.  We think of what we want to do for Lent, but we don't ask ourselves:  what does God want me to do for Lent?  Today Jesus tells us in the gospel of Luke:  "If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his daily cross and follow me (Luke 9:23)."  We must deny ourselves in order to follow the Lord, in order to start this Lenten journey, in order to take up our daily cross.  We get so wrapped up, even in our spiritual lives, in what we want or what we think we need that we leave out the will of God.  Yes, the will of God can be difficult to discern sometimes, but maybe that is what He is calling you to do this Lent: to spend more time in prayer to discern his will.  What does God want for me this Lent?  What cross am I called to carry?  What do I need to do to deny myself and totally surrender to God's will?